An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 143 Strikes hard
Lin Ji wasn't blinded by gambling.

At least he doesn't think so.

He had calculated it very clearly: even if he lost the bet, he could exchange the 600 chips he lost for tokens, which could then be used to exchange for a large number of equipment and items. He could then use these items to exchange for 40 chips with Song Linchuan.

He believed that Song Linchuan, given his character, would not take advantage of someone in distress.

Therefore, this is almost a gamble that guarantees a profit; the only difference is how much or how little you make.

Of course, he subconsciously knew that this was just an excuse, an excuse to make risky decisions.

However, Lin Ji, who was already blinded by gambling, would immediately believe wholeheartedly once he found a suitable excuse, no longer thinking or questioning, but placing all his hopes on those two exquisite playing cards.

"Come on, let me see my gambling luck!"

"Open the cards!"

Lin Ji's eyes widened, and he roared as he pushed the cards in front of him forward.

However, in contrast to his desperate shouting, the Baron remained motionless and calm.

He calmly placed his cards face down on the table and chuckled, "You have three Jacks, right?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Ji was completely stunned.

He immediately cried out, "You cheated?"

"You still need to cheat?" The Baron chuckled dismissively. "You started strong, either with a single Ace or a pair. But after the cards were dealt, your confidence clearly weakened, yet you still raised despite your outward appearance of strength. Based on my observation of you, your hand is most likely a pair rather than a single high card. Finally, when the fourth card was dealt, your confidence returned, so it was three Jacks of three of a kind."

The Baron's explanation sounded far-fetched at first glance, as if it were just unreliable guessing, but only he knew directly that he had seen through and grasped every subtle reaction of Lin Ji in the previous bet.

What might seem like an abstract probability to outsiders is a definite fact to someone like him who has been immersed in gambling for over a century.

As he spoke, he directly revealed his hand of cards.

A club eight and a diamond nine.

Killer.

"you"

Lin Ji slumped back in his chair, his face pale, his lips moving as he struggled to accept the outcome.

After a long silence, he shouted, filled with resentment, "You, you must have cheated! The probability is so small, how, how could it be possible!"

However, when faced with Lin Ji's questioning, the Baron just looked at him with disdain.

He seemed to have finally shed his disguise; the gentle smile he always wore was gone, replaced by the cunning and treachery typical of a gambler.

"I simply found the game in which you would take the bait, from repeated games."

The baron tapped the gambling table lightly, a confident smile on his face.

"Besides, you don't really think you have great luck when you gamble, do you?"

"Your mind is as naive as a child's. I had already figured out your behavior pattern in the fifth game. I deliberately lost to you just to gradually break down your psychological defenses and set a trap for the final outcome."

"I have to say, you're even more foolish than I thought."

The Baron's words made Lin Ji's face turn bright red instantly. He stared intently at the Baron, his hands clenching so tightly they cracked, like an enraged beast that seemed ready to pounce at any moment.

But then the chain of bets on his hand began to flash. Lin Ji glanced at the chain of bets with apprehension, finally regaining some composure, and said fiercely, "Fine, I admit defeat this time!"

He immediately stood up and said, "Exchange all my chips for tokens."

"Hmph, so what if you're a great gambler? You still have to give me all this equipment, don't you?"

He had already decided which pieces of equipment to choose. Although he was very unwilling to accept losing the bet and felt like he was holding back a fire, he thought again that he had already been pleasantly surprised to get so much equipment on this trip. Why should he be greedy for more?

However, Song Linchuan, who was standing next to Lin Ji, frowned deeply because he realized that there was a fatal flaw in the Baron's words!

If the Baron's gambling skills are so advanced that he can see through Lin Ji's every thought, wouldn't he just use that skill to win all the money from Lin Ji? Why bother setting up a trap and trying to win all of Lin Ji's wealth in a single game?
Does he have some kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Is it merely to humiliate Lin Ji and enjoy his frustration at losing everything after gambling away all his resources? Does doing so give him a sense of accomplishment?

Wait, risk everything?
Song Linchuan suddenly realized something and his eyes widened sharply!
Almost simultaneously, the Baron's mocking voice rang out: "Tokens? I'm afraid you're not cut out for them."

"I forgot to tell you something: under the God of Gamblers' rules, everything can be used as a bargaining chip."

"In other words, going all-in isn't just about betting the chips you have; it's about betting everything you own, even your life and your soul!"

As he finished speaking, to Lin Ji's horrified gaze, countless blood-red threads suddenly surged from the chain of the bet on his wrist! These threads climbed up his body, and the skin that came into contact with the threads withered at a visible speed. At the same time, his face became distorted, as if something illusory was being peeled away from his body!

Lin Ji's face showed extreme fear. Like a wild beast trapped in a desperate situation, he suddenly lunged to escape, but the Baron-level chain of contracts unleashed an overwhelming force, instantly locking onto all his equipment and items! And fixing him firmly in place!
Lin Ji could only helplessly sense his body being gradually disintegrated, his eyes revealing extreme despair and fear!
"Lin Ji!"

Amidst Song Linchuan's shouts, Lin Ji's soul was extracted and transformed into a small, special chip imprinted with his desperate and pained expression. It landed in the Baron's hand, and a phantom image floated on the chip, emitting intermittent sounds: "Save me...save me."

His body, still contorted in fear, slammed heavily onto the gambling table with a "thud" after being drained of its contents, like a dried-up corpse on its deathbed.

This horrific scene turned Bian Guanyue's face pale, and she covered her mouth as if she was about to vomit. Song Linchuan's heart was also pounding. He could feel the immense binding force of the bet chain wrapped around his wrist. That power, which came directly from the gods, was something he could not resist at all!

Before this, it seemed to be just a tool for maintaining the rules, but now it has become a Damocles' sword hanging over our heads!
"We want to end this bet!" Song Linchuan said through gritted teeth. "You said before that we could withdraw from the bet at any time, right?"

He now fully understands the Baron's scheme. He doesn't need to cheat at all; he can easily win the game by forcing the three to go all-in by betting large amounts of chips indefinitely!

This is the overwhelming advantage that comes with having a large number of chips. Even if you have a 99% win rate, as long as you are forced to go all-in every time and keep gambling, there will eventually be a round where you lose all the chips you have won!
Of course, the Baron's chips are not unlimited, but the odds of winning are far from 99%. In front of this monster who has been immersed in gambling for hundreds of years, even if they are the best among their peers, they will still be easily seen through like children!

Even luck is on his side because he holds a large amount of chips! If he continues to gamble, he will definitely lose!

“How ruthless,” the Baron said with a smile. “Don’t you want to win back your companions?”

As he spoke, he shook the Lin Ji chip in his hand, and a struggling, painful phantom appeared.

"Brother Song, save me! Please, please, it's so dark and cold here! Ah!!!"

With a gentle squeeze, the Baron sent Lin Ji's soul into a agonizing scream.

He smiled and looked at Song Linchuan and the other man, whose faces were grim: "I can give you a discount. Your bodies will be worth fifty chips, and your souls will be worth one hundred. How about that?"

Bian Guanyue hesitated for a moment, but Song Linchuan decisively sneered, "Baron, you have probably misjudged our relationship. I only met him for the first time. It is too naive of you to think you can use this to blackmail us."

"I said I want to end the betting now!"

He knew perfectly well that the two of them alone could not save Lin Ji. Continuing to gamble would only put themselves in danger as well. Even if they wanted to save him, they had to do it in another way!

However, in response to his request, the baron's mocking smile deepened: "Your relationship truly disappoints me."

"Even so, you cannot withdraw from the betting now."

Song Linchuan's face darkened: "You promised us that you could withdraw at any time."

"Oh?" The baron's face broke into a playful smile, the layers of expression shifting from one rock to another. "Was what I said part of the [Rules]?"

Upon hearing this, Song Linchuan's expression immediately turned extremely ugly.

The Baron chuckled and said, "In the world of the God of Gamblers, only the rules cannot be lied about. As for other promises, I'm surprised you would believe a gambler."

The expressions of Song Linchuan and the other man grew increasingly grim. The Baron continued, "In the rules, I said that the game can end after this round is finished. But this round does not mean one round of cards. In the game I have set, the game only ends when one side loses all their chips!"

“You didn’t ask clearly yourselves, so you can’t blame me for that.”

"By the way, because there are rules for exchanging items and chips, therefore—"

The baron dropped all pretense, grinning to reveal his dangerous fangs.

"The game will not end until you have given me everything you own, including your soul and your body."

Without giving the two more time to think, the notary began the twenty-fifth betting game amidst their slightly desperate gazes!

Deal cards, raise, reveal cards, next round.
This time, the Baron didn't hold back and fully revealed his terrifying strength!
Although Texas Hold'em is a gambling game, it is actually a competitive sport involving many aspects, such as probability, behavioral patterns, and psychological games.

In the previous twenty-four matches, the Baron had already thoroughly figured out the three of them without making a sound, which is why he announced the start of his attack with a magnificent all-in!
Even though Song Linchuan and his companion concentrated their minds to the extreme in the following bets, they still lost more than they won.

They were still too inexperienced compared to the Baron!
Not to mention, with a large number of fate chips at his disposal, even luck is on the Baron's side.

Although the game was full of variables, the two felt like ants trapped in an antlion's trap. They might be able to climb up three or five centimeters at times, but they would soon be dragged down more and more. No matter how much they struggled, they could only slide little by little into the abyss.

In their despairing gazes, their chips dwindled.

"Two pairs, I won this round again."

As the Baron's calm voice faded, both men lost all their chips.

If they wanted to continue, they would have to exchange their equipment and items for chips, but both of them knew that this was just a futile struggle to buy time.

They exchanged a glance, and both Song Linchuan and Bian Guanyue saw the decision in each other's eyes!
Almost simultaneously, their weapons appeared in their hands without warning, and they slashed at the chains that bound them to the wager!
Without hesitation, the two unleashed their strongest attack skills. Under the massive energy fluctuation, the entire gambling table, along with the playing cards on it, was shattered, and the chains binding the two in their bet also broke!

But at the moment of the break, as punishment for violating the rules, an extremely powerful mental attack struck their souls directly! Even though they had prepared a trump card to deal with mental attacks before setting off, they still coughed up blood and turned deathly pale!
If someone with the ability to see souls were here, they would find that their souls had been struck as if by a heavy blow, with several terrifying holes appearing, leaving only a few slivers of connection.

With his soul severely damaged, Song Linchuan felt a sharp pain in his head, as if someone had driven a nail into his temple and was stirring it wildly. Waves of dizziness and nausea washed over him, making it difficult for him to walk steadily.

But he still managed to steady himself with his strong will and gritted his teeth as he threw a prop at the notary behind him.

【Lasso of the Void (Legendary)】The person hit will be locked in the void and unable to move for a short time. The specific duration of the effect depends on the strength of the user.

At the same time, Bian Guanyue used a blocking item on the Baron, and then the two of them fled outwards without stopping!

However, behind them, the Baron didn't even try to struggle; he just watched the two flee in panic like rats with a playful smile.

Just as the two were about to rush out of the golden hall, two blood-stained spears suddenly shot out from the doorway and pierced through their bodies!
The immense kinetic energy contained in the spears sent their bodies flying backward like rag dolls, until they were slammed into the ground along with the spears!

"Wow!"

Song Linchuan coughed up a mouthful of blood, staring blankly at the exquisite glass dome of the golden hall, his gaze gradually unfocusing. In his blurred vision, a terrifying creature he had never seen before appeared before him.

Its face was as hideous and terrifying as a ghoul, with four blood-red pupils filled with violent killing intent. Its body was five meters tall, wearing iron armor stained with blood, and a pair of tattered dark wings were flapping up and down behind it.

Two-winged Fallen Blood Angel

[Rank: General Level 3 (Elite)]

"Cough cough!"

Song Linchuan lay face up, blood gushing from his mouth.

The baron's mocking laughter rang in her ears: "You don't think I'm so stupid as to have taken no precautions other than the notary, do you?"

He did not answer, but struggled to pull his body out of the spear that was pinned to the ground. However, the weakness in his body was so real, and the excruciating pain in his mind and soul made it impossible for him to concentrate on doing anything.

He barely managed to pull himself out a little when a second spear was thrown at him.

"Pfft!"

His body was pinned to the ground by the enormous impact.

He stared blankly at the glass dome of the Golden Hall, his eyes, which had been as bright as stars, gradually dimmed. Beside him was Bian Guanyue, who was also nailed to the ground.

Song Linchuan was utterly desperate.

The hands that gripped the spear slowly fell to their sides.

"Clap, clap."

The sound of crisp footsteps rang in his ears as the Baron, accompanied by a notary, slowly walked to their side.

He looked down at Song Linchuan and shook his head regretfully, saying, "Why did you break the rules? You could have served me as servants, but now you've ended up like this."

"The God of Gamblers' rules are absolute, and any violator will be punished with the death penalty."

"What a pity, what a pity."

As he muttered to himself, the Baron slowly drew the longsword from his waist and raised it high.

The gleaming silver blade reflected a blinding, cold light. Song Linchuan knew that today was his death day.

Before participating in the trial, he had mentally prepared himself for the possibility of dying, but deep down he never really thought he would perish in a small, dangerous trial.

But reality is so cruel.

However, for some reason, on the verge of death, he suddenly thought of Chen Ce.

To be honest, Song Linchuan always had absolute confidence in himself. In his opinion, even if the other three were a bit of a drag, he could still carry them through the game. Subconsciously, he believed that it was the other three's good fortune to have met him.

So when Chen Ce rejected his cooperation invitation, although he remained outwardly calm, he secretly mocked him, thinking that Chen Ce was somewhat ungrateful and had missed an opportunity to curry favor.

But who would have thought that he would end up in such a miserable state?

And it also implicated others.

Lin Ji's soul was still screaming, repeatedly wailing, "Save me, save me."

If he was to blame for his own mistakes, then Guan Yue's situation was entirely due to his flawed decision-making. She chose to follow him because she trusted him.

Looking at Bian Guanyue, who was nailed to his side and was also looking up at the sky in utter despair, Song Linchuan's heart was filled with regret and guilt.

As the silver sword began to fall, Song Linchuan's last thought was about Chen Ce.

"Luckily he rejected me back then, otherwise I would have had another life on my hands."

He now only hopes that Chen Ce can safely acquire forty chips and successfully pass the trial.

But at that moment, a familiar figure was suddenly reflected in Song Linchuan's pupils.

A bizarre mask, a helmet with protruding bull horns, and a long robe trimmed with gold.

"Chen Ce?"

Through the glass dome of the Golden Hall, he could see Chen Ce's blurry figure, except that he now had a pair of huge black wings.

"Is this what elders often refer to as hallucinations before death?"

Song Linchuan thought to himself with a touch of self-mockery, the bitterness in his mouth growing stronger.

But suddenly, he realized something was wrong.

The baron's silver sword, which he had swung down, paused in mid-air, while the previously somewhat blurry figure became clearer and clearer!
The next moment, accompanied by a deafening roar, the glass dome of the entire Golden Hall shattered!

Under Song Linchuan's shocked gaze, Chen Ce leaped down, and a demonic arm appeared behind him, like a massive hammer falling from the sky, smashing down on the Baron!

In the blink of an eye, the Baron rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack in a very awkward manner!
"boom!"

The demon's arm slammed into the ground, the terrifying force shattering the smooth tiles of the hall and leaving a large crater in its wake!
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Chu Xiu slowly stood up.

Song Linchuan was stunned when he saw Chu Xiu suddenly appear.

That's not an illusion! It's really Chen Ce!
But why did he come? Did he come to save me?

Song Linchuan found it hard to believe, but there seemed to be no other explanation!

Not only him, but Bian Guanyue also stared in shock, and even Lin Ji's trapped soul began to cry for help even louder.

The baron, who had dodged the attack, showed displeasure, but quickly composed himself and looked Chu Xiu up and down.

"Are you here to rescue your companion?" he asked.

However, Chu Xiu did not answer, but looked around as if he was analyzing the current situation.

Seeing this, the Baron seemed to have thought of something, and his signature amiable smile appeared on his face: "You damaged my hall and even attacked me. According to the [rules], I can have the notary execute you directly."

“However, I am not a person who advocates violence. I will give you a chance. If you can beat me in my bet, I will spare your life.”

"Not only that, there will be additional rewards."

As he spoke, the Baron stepped aside, revealing the [Legendary] shield behind him.

He used this equipment to attract countless gamblers, confident that no one could resist the allure of a "legendary" item.

Sure enough, Chu Xiu looked in that direction, and a look of surprise appeared in his dark eyes beneath the eerie mask.

However, at that moment, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.

"Cough cough, no, no!"

Song Linchuan coughed up a large amount of blood and struggled to speak.

The baron frowned, seemingly surprised that the bond between the group was so deep that even on their deathbeds they were still thinking of each other.

But this is exactly what he can do.

The baron smiled at Chu Xiu and said, "Your companions violated the rules and should have been executed, but if you win the bet, I will spare their lives."

"how?"

As the Baron finished speaking, Lin Ji's soul suddenly screamed: "Say yes! Please! Save me!"

Song Linchuan suddenly opened his eyes wide, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, as if he were summoning the last bit of strength in his body to desperately try to vomit out what he wanted to say.

Unlike Lin Ji, he had only one thought in his mind: Chu Xiu must not be tempted by the Baron and agree to the Baron's bet.

I have to remind him!

Of the four of them, at least one must survive!
No more people can die!
"No, don't agree!"

His eyes widened, and he squeezed out the last three words with all his might: "You will lose!"

However, faced with the advice he gave with his last breath, Chu Xiu simply glanced at him calmly, then reached out and grabbed the chain of wagers that the Baron had handed him.

This scene caused Song Linchuan to collapse to the ground as if all his strength had been drained.

Chu Xiu ignored his advice and agreed to the Baron's wager, just like Lin Ji did.

He didn't understand why Chu Xiu did this, and what pained him even more was that another person was about to fall into the Baron's trap, like an insect that had accidentally fallen into a spider web, being slowly devoured and dying before his eyes.

However, just as Song Linchuan's face turned ashen and the Baron revealed a confident smile, an unexpected turn of events occurred!
The chain of the bet had just wrapped around Chu Xiu's wrist, before the contract was even complete, when he grabbed it with a backhand! Then he pulled it sharply backward!
baron:?
Before he could react, connected by the chain of the bet, he rushed towards Chu Xiu at lightning speed!

At the same time, the berserk demonic hand took shape behind Chu Xiu. The surging, magma-like blood, like diesel fuel pumped into an engine, released an immense power in an instant. This power, compressed and accumulated to its limit in the demonic hand—

Punch out!
"Oh!"

Like a high explosive detonating in mid-air, the Baron's solid stone body deformed and shattered in an instant, his broken body flying backward and crashing heavily into the wall at the end of the hall!
The enormous impact instantly created a large crater in the wall! Debris rained down.

This sudden turn of events left Song Linchuan speechless, his mouth agape in shock.

What's happening here?
Under his dazed gaze, Chu Xiu slowly turned around and looked at him calmly:
"Thank you for your advice."

"But would anyone really be foolish enough to accept a bet pre-arranged by a gambler?"

"For gamblers, of course we must strike hard!"

(End of this chapter)